


Timeline B

by Inyri



Series: Dr Jillian Holtzmann, Time Traveler [3]
Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 15:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10494111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inyri/pseuds/Inyri
Summary: Holtzmann attempts a crazy time travel maneuver to save the world from a ghost invasion, but things don't turn out as she planned.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the second timeline related to Flung Out of Space. If you haven't read that work, you're going to be really lost; I suggest you do that first. 
> 
> If you have already read it, great! This fic stands alone from Timeline A. This version of the story explores Toltzmann and Yatesbert from Abby and Holtzmann's POVs. Enjoy. :)

Abby couldn’t shake the giddiness at seeing a woman literally disappear into thin air. She’d hypothesized and daydreamed about time travel for years, but, unlike her belief in ghosts, she never thought she’d witness it in real life. The sheer amount of scientific discovery she’d been part of in the past week made her want to explode with excitement.

Abby’s happiness dissipated when she turned to find Erin coughing up a lung behind her. She moved to the redhead, patting her on the back and watching her carefully. Abby’s sixth sense for all things Erin was blaring: there was something _off_ about Erin.

“Are you alright?” Abby asked.

“She should have come back by now,” Erin said. “She should have re-appeared by now.”

Abby looked over at Patty to find that her friend looked as concerned as she felt. Abby kicked at the dirt, not wanting to say what they all were thinking. Apparently Erin had no qualms with that.

“You’re not seriously giving up already,” she said. “It’s only been thirty seconds.”

“The train will be here soon,” Patty said.

Erin’s eyes went wide in a way that Abby knew would lead to an emotional outburst. She mentally prepared herself for Erin’s rush of anxiety.

 “What if Holtzmann materializes when the train is going by?” Erin asked. “What will happen to her?”

“Hun, we should get back on the platform,” Abby said. She ventured a hand on Erin’s back.

“No,” Erin insisted, pulling away from Abby’s touch. She had that determined set to her voice that Abby knew all too well. “We have to wait for Holtzmann.” 

The computerized voice announced the next train and Patty said, “We’re outta time. Grab the ghost trap.”

The three women trudged toward the platform, lugging Holtzmann’s incredible machines. Patty let out a sigh of relief when they had all made it. Erin just kept staring at the tracks, as though she expected the blonde engineer to appear. Abby couldn’t help but feel a sting of something like jealousy at the way Erin’s face crumpled at the edges as she waited for Holtzmann.

The train pulled into the station and left again. There was still no sign of the engineer.

Abby was sad to lose the genius, but those feelings were clouded over by her reaction to Erin’s obvious pining. She’d thought there was something between the two, but now she knew for sure and it hurt more than she had expected.

“Come on, Erin,” Abby said, keeping her voice soft, “let’s go home.”

Abby reached for Erin’s hand, something she’d done a thousand times in her lifetime. She held it for just a moment, squeezing it companionably before releasing it once more.

“I’ll get us a cab,” Patty said. “I think we’ve all had enough of subways for one day.”

Erin looked back at the empty tracks once more, disappointment radiating off her.

“Erin,” Abby said, “let’s go home.”

Erin waited a moment more and then gave a slow nod and followed Abby toward the stairs.

When they got back to the apartment, Erin went straight into her room. Patty shook her head as she put the machines on the kitchen table.

“That girl got somethin’ bad for Holtzy,” Patty said to Abby. “I tol’ her not to go fallin’ for a time traveler. I read enough romance novels to know that.”

Abby nodded, twisting her mouth up to keep the frown off it.

“I gotta be honest,” Patty continued. “I really expected it to work. That girl a straight up genius.”

“Me, too,” Abby confessed. “I was really hoping she’d be around to perfect the proton gun with me.”

Patty smiled at that. “You would.”

The two women stood in the kitchen for a moment, thinking things over, and then Abby turned to Patty and asked, “Pizza?”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.”

They didn’t talk about Holtzmann again until they were both settled in the living room with their pizza. There was a documentary on World War I on the TV, but neither of them were really watching it.

“Where do you think she is?” Abby asked.

“You mean Holtzy?” Patty clarified.

“Yeah.”

“Dunno. Could be anywhere really.”

“I like to think that she went back to the ‘80s and invented the first cat meme or something,” Abby said.

“Nah, I think we’d know if she did,” Patty said. “Wouldn’t this timeline be changed or something?”

“But would we know if things had changed?” Abby said.

Patty sighed.

“In the words of my favorite Star Trek captain,” Patty said, “’Time travel gives me a headache.’”

Abby chuckled at that. She didn’t know enough about Star Trek to know the quote, but she appreciated it nevertheless.

“I’m a huge proponent of string theory,” Abby said. “So, Holtzmann might not be in our timeline at all anymore. She might have just created another string with her crazy amount of time traveling and be gone from our universe completely.”

“Sounds just about as possible as anything to me,” Patty said, taking another bite of her pizza. “Alls I know is we gotta deal with the Erin in this timeline. Do we have an action plan?”

“Not yet,” Abby answered, “but I’m working on it.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Patty said. “Just lemme know when you come up with somethin’ and I’m right there with ya.”

Abby looked over at Patty, who was watching the documentary, and smiled, thinking that she had really good friends indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a comment: this work involves asexual!Abby and ADHD!Holtzmann (which are my personal head canons). It won't be a huge part of the story, but it will be part of my characterization.
> 
> In case you were wondering, Patty is quoting Captain Janeway. :)


End file.
